DUBAI – Iran’s president said his country is fighting a “full-scale war” with the United States, as Washington expanded its strikes across the Islamic republic and Tehran hit Gulf states.
Here are the latest developments on Monday:
– Yemen’s Houthis announce Saudi blockade –
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels announced a maritime embargo of Saudi Arabia, after the two adversaries traded fire last week for the first time in years.
– Iran says in ‘full-scale war’ with US –
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country was in a “full-scale war” with the United States and that Tehran should “accept the natural consequences of this resistance”.
– Iran minister to visit Pakistan –
Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni is set to travel to mediator Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Monday, a Pakistani interior ministry source said.
The source confirmed to AFP that the minister would have talks with Pakistani officials but did not elaborate on whether it was linked to Pakistan’s long-running mediation efforts to end fighting between the United States and Iran.
– Bahrain, Kuwait report Iran attacks –
Bahrain’s civil aviation body said Iran had targeted its air navigation systems with drones, though traffic remained unaffected.
Kuwait, which like Bahrain hosts US military installations, also reported intercepting Iranian attacks.
– Oil retreats after hitting month-high –
Oil fell back after hitting its highest price in a month as Iran said diplomatic exchanges with the United States were ongoing via mediators despite the two sides’ ceasefire all but collapsing.
The benchmark Brent North Sea contract rose above US$91 a barrel before giving up the gains on hopes for negotiations.
– Iran says talking to US through mediators –
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said diplomatic exchanges are going on with the United States through mediators.
“The diplomatic apparatus has been active in recent days and ideas have been conveyed to us by certain mediators,” he said.
Baghaei said Iran would not allow the Strait of Hormuz to be used to threaten the country’s security. He also called on the United Nations (UN) atomic agency to condemn US strikes which he said targeted the Darkhovin nuclear plant being built in southwest Iran.
– US widens strikes on Iran –
The United States expanded its strikes on Iran, targeting provinces around the country including the city of Bushehr, which hosts a nuclear power plant.
Since the resumption of hostilities, the US had focused strikes around Hormuz, but extended them on Monday to other provinces, according to state media and local authorities.
Iranian state media said at least one person was killed and several more wounded in US strikes in the country’s northwest overnight.
– Iran using Hormuz as ‘leverage’: Rubio –
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran is using the strategic Strait of Hormuz as leverage, urging other countries to step up pressure to protect global shipping.
“It’s clear that Iran, at least some people in Iran, want to control the straits and hold that as leverage against the world,” Rubio told reporters.
– Trump says US hitting Iran to honour Americans killed –
US President Donald Trump said Sunday the latest military strikes on Iran were being carried out in honour of US service members killed in recent days.
“We hit them very hard again tonight, and we did that in honour of the, probably three, it’s probably three great patriots,” Trump told reporters.
Two were killed in Jordan on Friday and a third in Iraq on Sunday, according to US officials, taking the total of confirmed American fatalities since the start of the war in February to 17.